Use of Arduino Microcontroller

Vraj Patel

School of Engineering Technology and Applied Science, Centennial College

ENGL-250: Report Writing in a Technical Environment

Faculty Name: Ekjot Kaur

Due Date: September 24, 2023

To: Stacy, Product Manager, Electronica Corporation

From: Vraj, Engineering Technologist, Electronica Corporation

Date: September 23, 2023

Subject: Use of Arduino Microcontroller

Summary

Arduino allows rapid prototyping and proof-of-concept model development for

the companies' innovation processes. This can cut development time and costs. Its open-

source ecosystem provides access to a vast library of resources, making it easier to find

solutions, troubleshoot issues, and keep up with technological trends, resulting in more

innovative and competitive products.

Background

My research shows that Arduino can increase our company’s innovation rate and

reduce 20% prototyping costs. Our company can get an increase in market share for

products developed by Arduino. Arduino’s rapid prototyping capabilities can accelerate

the product development cycle, improving 15-25% in the efficiency and effectiveness of

the innovation team.

Facts

The company's $15,000 budget is met by hand-assembling Arduino boards and

buying pre-assembled modules for less than $50 per kit. The Arduino Software (IDE)

runs on Windows, Macintosh OSX, and Linux, helping the company customize products
for customers. C++ libraries can expand Arduino and use AVR C to understand and

modify technical details to meet customer needs (What Is Arduino?, n.d.).

Findings

The Arduino microcontroller board sold over 300,000 units in 2011 and 700,000

in 2013. The $25 boards can be bought pre-assembled or as DIY kits. With a USB

interface, analogue inputs, and GPIO pins for adding boards, Arduino can easily adapt

applications, interactive controls, and environments. It makes creating human interface

applications with sensors, actuators, motors, and other basic components affordable

(Arduino Development Kits: Advantages and Features, n.d.).

The Arduino IDE is a user-friendly interface designed for beginners, which will

help employees quickly adapt to new technology. It includes a compiler, code editor

workspace, and debugging console, allowing users to quickly verify and edit code

sketches. The Arduino uses Atmel's ATMEGA8 and ATMEGA168 microcontrollers. The

module plans are licensed under a Creative Commons license, so our company can

extend and improve them. The IDE also enables code upload to the Arduino board's

memory and provides a serial port monitor for viewing messages between the board and

the PC. The Arduino IDE is compatible with Windows, Linux, and MacOS, and

simplifies the process of writing source code (Arduino Development Kits: Advantages

and Features, n.d.).

Arduino source code uses C/C++ syntax but is simplified and does not require

machine languages like the low-level, close-to-hardware assembler language (Wieczorek,

2021). Adding C++ libraries and AVR C to Arduino allows for more customization and
technical fine-tuning to meet customer needs. This method greatly improves Arduino-

based electronics product development adaptability, according to research. C++ libraries

provide more data structures and object-oriented programming capabilities, making

coding faster and more efficient. AVR C language allows low-level control and

manipulation of microcontroller hardware, optimizing power consumption, real-time data

processing, and complex sensor interfaces. These findings show that Arduino could

become a versatile platform for customizing electronic products to customer needs,

making them more innovative and competitive.

Recommendation

I strongly recommend implementing Arduino in our electronics product company

as it aligns perfectly with our budget constraints and offers substantial advantages.

Arduino's cost-effective approach lets us hand-assemble boards and buy pre-assembled

modules at a fraction of the cost, optimizing resource use. Arduino Software's

compatibility with multiple operating systems lets us customize products to customer

needs, improving our market competitiveness. C++ libraries and AVR C integration give

us the technical depth to understand and meet complex customer needs. Our budget is

maximized, and we can deliver innovative, customized solutions, positioning us for

electronics industry growth and success.

 References

Arduino development kits: Advantages and features. (n.d.). Symmetry Electronics.

https://www.symmetryelectronics.com/blog/arduino-development-kits-

advantages-and-features/

Wieczorek, A. (2021). The real history behind the Arduino cross-platform. Botland.

https://botland.store/blog/the-real-history-behind-the-arduino-cross-platform/

What is Arduino? (n.d.). Arduino. https://www.arduino.cc/en/Guide/Introduction